10+ years at Uber with Dom Narducci

Meet Dom Narducci, Staff Software Engineer at Uber Freight. Dom joined Uber in 2010 as an intern, weaving through teams focused on Drivers, Uber for Business, Mobile, Security, and eventually joining Freight.

Why did you decide to join Uber and what keeps you here? 

“I joined Uber straight out of college, interning the summer before my senior year and then starting full time upon graduation. The company was pretty different back then! As an intern, I was the third person in the office, and the second developer. Committing to the internship in the first place came out of an interest on my part of finding a full time computer development opportunity. I had previously only done part-time work, or self-driven hobby, but I knew nothing would accelerate my skills faster than doing it full time. It was a very easy decision to come in full time after graduation, having seen the growth over the course of the internship, and having learned so much from the few employees around me.

Uber has a long history of being a dynamic, ever-shifting place to work. This is especially true in recent history as we fire on all cylinders as a public company. The opportunity has never been bigger, nor have we ever been closer to achieving it. I continue to feel engaged and excited by the work happening at Uber broadly, and how I contribute directly.”

What are you working on right now and what do you see yourself doing next?

“I have been working within the Uber Freight Engineering team for four years now on various efforts. In my current capacity I am driving an effort to better leverage the power of the Uber platform by providing a fast track for users who already have Uber accounts (as drivers, delivery people, etc.) to onboard to Uber Freight. More earning opportunities for more earners is a win-win I think!

I am fully bought-in on Uber Freight but I don’t yet know what my next effort will be. I am lucky to be in a position where I can move across teams as business priorities change to ensure I am working on the most important problems. As this onboarding effort winds down it will be on me to zoom out and identify the next big need of the business I can contribute uniquely to.”

What are some highlights from your 10+ years here?

“Impossible to exhaustively summarize in a few sentences, but here’s at least some groupings of highlights as I think about them:

Company Business Milestones: 10^8, 10^9, 10^10, IPO

Company Firsts: First international market, first regulatory battle, first non-vehicle product, etc.

Personal highlights: 1000’s of engineers engucated; Automated payment statements, Uber for Business, Apple Pay launch partner, Uber Freight; Delivering ice cream, serenades, driver thank you notes”

How do you ensure you’re continuing to grow? 

“Every two years I take a step back and reflect on where I stand by asking myself two questions: Am I doing work that matters, and am I surrounded by people that are enabling me to learn and grow? When either of these answers are “no” I am not shy about looking around for other teams within my organization, or in the broader company where the answers are “yes”. By being honest about what my expectations are, and what my personal needs are as I continue to grow as a software developer, I am able to stay engaged and continue moving forward in my career. I have probably taken advantage of internal mobility at Uber more than any other employee. It is always sad to leave a team behind to try something new, but no one will look out for your personal growth like you will!”

On a typical Saturday afternoon, what would we find you doing? 

“I am fortunate enough to live in a rural area with plenty of room to shelter-in-place, but home ownership does make for a fair amount of weekend chores! When I am not running around in the yard with my dogs, or mowing the lawn, or dragging the equestrian arena with the tractor, you can likely find me unwinding in my rum loft enjoying the greatest distilled spirit ever made.”